[UC51] Wildfire Risk Assessment

Amidst the rising occurrence of catastrophic wildfires, the significance of wildfire risk assessment comes to the forefront as an essential instrument for protecting communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. By finding areas that are at risk ahead of time, this evaluation can help start smart planning, quick actions, and working together to lessen the big effects of these fires on people, things, and the environment.The objective lies in the assessment and mitigation of wildfire risk concerning electricity transmission and distribution utility assets, striving to comprehend the assets’ susceptibility to the looming wildfire hazard.The assessment is usually handled from two points of view:

1. Risk of utility assets (like powerlines) causing wildfire – addressing the risk of transmission or distribution utility assets, like powerlines, causing wildfires is important. An analytical system helps identify high-risk areas, manage vegetation, and deploy monitoring solutions. This ensures power distribution reliability while minimizing the threat of asset-related wildfires to the environment and communities.
2. Risk of utility assets being impacted by wildfire – evaluating the risk of transmission or distribution utility assets being impacted by wildfires is vital. An analytical system identifies vulnerable areas, strengthens infrastructure, and enhances emergency response, minimizing disruptions and ensuring community safety. The backup or redundant options might be proposed to increase the robustness of the system and prevent unnecessary outages.

Overall, an analytical system for versatile wildfire risk analysis is vital as it equips electric utilities with data-driven insights crucial for safeguarding infrastructure and communities against potential wildfire events. By integrating diverse data sources, it enables utilities to swiftly identify high-risk areas, prioritize actions, customize mitigation strategies, ensure operational continuity, and enhance communication with stakeholders, thus fostering resilience, regulatory compliance, and public trust in the face of evolving environmental challenges.